Grief Brought The Best Out Of This 98-year-Old Senior Keith Davison

When 94-year-old Keith Davison of Morris Minnesota lost his wife to cancer in 2016. He took his grief and sadness and turned them into something amazing. After sharing 66-years of marriage with his beautiful wife and raising his three kids, Keith was living his best life. That was until 2016 when his house full of craze and excitement got a little quieter.

Making The Most Of It

Keith was always a great swimmer and did it often. Installing a pool in his backyard was something he and his wife had planned to do for years. But, of course, there are things everybody wants and just never gets around to doing it. After his wife’s passing, Keith became very lonely.

Just when life hit him with such devasting news, Keith did something amazing. In 2017, he had an incredible idea to install a pool. But, not just for himself, he had it built so that all the kids in the neighborhood could enjoy it. Still, at the age of 98, Keith is still living his best life and gets to experience the love and happiness of kids and parents right in his backyard every summer.

“They were so excited about it because they knew I’d let them in, and I decided, ‘That’s enough incentive right there.’ ” he said.

No One Could Believe Keith Did It!

After installing a 32 by the 9-foot pool with a heating system in his backyard. Keith had built what he and his wife has always wanted. A pool that came with a shallow and deep end with its very own diving board. After seeing this amazing goal that he fulfilled, the neighbors couldn’t believe it. “I was just thinking, it’s fun to talk, but at the age of 94 would you really do it?” said neighbor Jessica Heubner when he talked about the pool. When construction began, she couldn’t believe it. “That’s when it really sank in. I was like, wow. You just don’t have that in today’s society, that amount of kindness.”

It was quite an expense to make the pool and the fact that he doesn’t charge any admission for these kids to enjoy it was truly incredible. But, building and maintaining the pool didn’t matter to this 98-year-old. He took an idea and turned it into something everyone could enjoy. He’s just excited to have a busy home again and give back.

Keith’s Life Has Become A little Louder

After all the work, he didn’t make this pool just for him, it’s for the children and his community. The pool was the goal, but Keith’s life improved even more because now he can enjoy it with a little more laughter and fun. He gets to socialize with kids, their parents, grandparents, and more. Now, he can call most of his neighbor’s close friends and even family. He feels more connected than ever, even after the passing of his wife. He doesn’t feel as sad or as lonely as he did.

“As a neighborhood, we’re getting out of our day-to-day routines to take the time to visit with each other and get to know each other,” she said. “(Keith) says it’s just a pool, but it’s not just a pool; it’s so much more than that.”

His backyard is now the place to go every summer for his neighborhood. His backyard is now a place where kids can have fun and adults can come to hang out and socialize.

Safety First

There may be some of you with concerns about this idea. But, worry not, because even though this is not a pool with employees or lifeguards, there are rules that Keith has instilled. Being a former judge, Keith is all about safety and making sure everyone stays as safe as possible.

Keith’s Pool Rules

Children under 12 must have adult supervision. Any child under 12 will not be allowed in the pool if they don’t have a parent or grandparent there. He wants to make sure that everyone can have fun, but still be cautious, so even kids under the age of 18 still need an adult present to swim. He even recommends that adults don’t swim by themselves either. Although, this rule doesn’t stop him, “I go in by myself,” he admitted with a chuckle. “If I had a heart attack and died in the pool, what a way to go. It certainly beats cancer.”

Editor’s Note: This story is from 2017. However, even though at the time Keith Davison was 94-years-old. You will be more than happy to know that he is still hosting 4 years later.